Needle holder



March 26, 1940. MAR|CK EFAL 2,195,316

NEEDLE HOLDER Filed NOV. 6, 1939 INVENTOR. HOW/7Z0 E, AWE/6K 45 end. The end of the holder which is designed for Patented Mar. 26, 1940 PA ENT OFFICE? NEEDLE HOLDER Howard E, Marick e i 9 Claims. This invention relates to needle holders which are designed forassociation with thread carrying spools and is concerned primarily with the provision of an in'ip'roved needle holder having novel characteristics towhich important advantages attach. l

A needle holder of. the type Withwhich this invention is concerned ordinarily is assembled in the bore of a thread-carryingspool, and it is highly desirable that the holder be firmly positioned I in the bore and yet :be readily removable therefrom. Accordingly an important object of the inventionlies in the provision of a holder which is so designed as to accomplish this purpose.

In carying out this objective the invention contemplates the provision of a holder that is substantially semi-cylindrical for a portion of its length, and substantially fully cylindrical for the remaining portion. The fully cylindrical part is defined by a split sleeve construction which permits of a certain amount of contraction and subsequent expansion thereof. Thus the split sleeve construction may be slightly compressed as it is a I inserted in the bore of a spool, anddue to the resiliency of the sheet metal from which the holder is made subsequent expansion willcause the split sleeve constructionto engage the bore of Y the spool and maintain the holder in position therein. 7 Moreover the full cylindrical formation provides adequate structure'for ,maintaining the needles in position in the holder, while the semi-' cylindrical formation permits of the withdrawal of the needles therefrom when their use-is re-- quired.

Obviously a needle holder of thestructure above outlined must be formed with aclosure at each insertion into the bore of the spool carries a tab which is of substantially the sameshape as a cross section ofthe cylindrical part of the holder, and

when this. tab is bent up into the proper position it serves to close the holder at-that end. An important object of the invention lies in the form of a tongue which is bent into position substantially normal to the axis of lthe holderx In the first instance this tongue constitutes a closure atthat end for the holder. The tongue is appropriately dimensioned so that it projects beyond the peripheral edge of the spool end when the holder is positionedtherein. "It-is thereby cons itiu ed. m s or prev nti ac d and aLndElmer Schweitzer, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 6, 1939, Serial undesirable rolling of the spool. This dimensioningof the tongue also lendsto the latter the abil- I ity'of functioning as a handle which may be enaged by the user to remove the holder'from the spool bore sufficiently to render the needles carried therein available. v

This tongue also acts as a stop to limit the extent to which the'holder may be inserted into the spool bore, thereby providing assurance thatthe holder is accurately positioned in a bore in a desirable manner.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a;needle holder of the character above noted in which the tongue at one end is formed with an aperture through which the thread which is carried :by the spool is adapted to pass. When the thread extends through this aperture the positioning of the holder in the bore to full insertion causes the tongue tov clamp the threadbetween the tongue and the spoolfend, thus guarding against the accidental unwinding of the thread from thespool.

further object of the invention-is the provision of a needle holder of the character. above noted in which one side of the'tongu'e carries thread cutting'means in the form of a notch which is preferably located conveniently adjacent to the-aperture through which the thread passes. Thus when the user of the spool with the holder assembled. therein is desirous of cutting off a length of thread the latter may be inserted in the notch and cut off in an obvious manner. v

A spool holder embodying the above noted structural characteristics is readily adapted to being made by first stamping a blanket appro priate shape from sheet metal and then I folding and bending the blank into the ultimate "formais held at an extremely low minimum, this being an important feature of the invention.

c'ylindrical formation which are adapted for in- Various other more detailed objectsand adtion. Thus the cost of manufacturing the holders sertion in the spool bore, the splitsleeve construcv tion constituting a means for maintaining the closes the split sleeve, While a tongue closes the holder in position in the bore. A tab-atone end semi-cylindrical end and projects beyond the peripheral edge of the spool end when the holder is inserted in the spool bore. This tongue is formedwith an aperture, and the side edge thereof carries a thread cutting notch.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side view developing a thread carrying spool in section with the holder of this invention positioned therein and shown in elevation,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembly:

shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank of sheet metal i prior to being folded and bent into the ultimate formation, and I Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of the finally fashioned holder.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts; a spool of conventional design is shown in Figure 1 and referred to in its entirety by the reference character S. The spool S consists of spool 7 construction by the split at l6. This split sleeve construction I is closed at one end by the end closure designated 11. Communicating with the other end of the split sleeve construction I5 is a cutaway part or substantially semi-cylindrical portion l8, the end of the latter being closed by a tongue designated l9. This tongue I 9 is formed with an aperture 20 and one side edge thereof carries a notch 2|.

Referring now to Figure 3 it will be noted that ablank which is identified by the reference character B may be stamped from a piece of sheet metal, and this blank B is-adapted to be bent and folded into the final holder formation depicted in Figure 4. This blank B includes a tab at one end, which, in the final construction, is the end closure l1. At the other end the blank includes the tongue l9 which is, of course,

the corresponding part of the final form. Ad-

jacent the tongue [9 is a substantially rectangular part IBa. which is bent into the substantially cylindrical formation l8, while adjacent the tab l1 is the rectangular part I541 which is wider than the part 58a. Thus when the parts l8a and [5a are bent (preferably over a suitable mandrel) they assume'the formation shown in Figure 4 providing the cut-away part I8 and the split sleeve construction l5.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that one or more needles such as represented at 22 may be positioned in the holder and are maintained therein by the fully cylindrical formation 15. When the holder is assembled with the spool the tongue l9 engages the spool end Ill, as illustrated. Thus the tongue acts as a stop limitingthe extentto which the holdermay be inserted in the bore l3. Prior to insertion-of the holder H into the bore 13 the split sleeve construction It will be slightly compressed so that the subsequent effect of the tendency to expand will cause the split sleeve construction to engage the bore l3 and maintain the holder in position.

It will be noted that the extremity of the tongue is projects beyond the peripheral edge of the spool end I!) and thus is rendered available as a handle which may be grasped by a user when it is desired to withdraw the holder H from the bore to render the needles22 available. This projecting portion of thetongue l9 also prevents the spool from accidently rolling about.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the thread 1 i4 is passed through the aperture 20. Thus when the tongue 19 engages the spool end I0, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, accidental unwinding of the thread I5 is also inhibited. It is also notable that the notch 2! is conveniently adjacent to the aperture 2d. 7 Thus when the user is desirous of cutting off a length of thread the latter is inserted inthe notchzl', and upon appropriate pressure beingapplied the desired severing will be accomplished. The tongue 19 may also be employed as a means for preventing accidental unwinding of the thread even though. the latter does not pass through the aperture 29. The thread l4 may merely be clamped between the spool end Ill and tongue 19. V

- An important advantage of the above described 1 holder is that when assembled with the spool it is substantiallyfully received in the bore. Thus the length of the spool is not materially increased. In fact, the only increase in the dimension of the spool is the projecting tongue, which is desirable, as above pointed out.

While a preferredspecific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described,. because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims. v

- We claim:

1. In combination, a thread carrying spool tion-formed with a bore that extends throughout theentire length of the spool, and a needle holder positioned in said bore, said needle holder consisting'of a split sleeve construction and a cutaway part both of which are positioned in the said bore, a closure for the split sleeve construction and a tongue at the end of the, cutaway part closing the same and projecting beyond the peripheral edge of a spool end.

. 3,,In combination, a thread carrying spool comprising spool ends connected by a hub portion formed with a bore that extends throughout the entire length of the spool, and a needle holder positioned in said bore, said needle holder consisting of a split sleeve construction and a cutaway part both of which are positioned in said bore, a closure for the split sleeve construction and a tongue at the end of the cutaway part 16 closing the same and projecting beyond the pe ripheral edge of a spool end, said 'tongue being formed with an aperture through which the thread carried by the spool is adapted to pass.

4. In combination, a thread carrying spool comprising spool ends connected by a: hubportion formed with a bore that extends 'lihlOllgllO-llt the entire length of the spool, and a needle holder the spool ends and projecting beyond the peripheral edge thereof, said tongue being formed. with an aperture through which the thread carried by the spool is adapted to pass, and thread cutting means carried by one edge of said tongue.

5. A thread holder of the character described comprising a single piece of sheet metal that is bent into a formation providing a split sleeve construction, and a cutaway part immediately adjacent thereto, a tab closing one end of the split sleeve construction and a tongue substantially normal to the axis of the split sleeve construction and cutaway part and which tongue closes the end of said cutaway part, said tongue being adapted to project beyond the edge of the end of a spool with which the holder is assembled.

6. A thread holder of the character described comprising a single piece of sheet metal that is bent into a formation providing a split sleeve construction, and a cutaway part immediately ad'- jacent thereto, a tab closing one end of the split sleeve construction and a tongue substantially normal to the axis of the split sleeve construction and cutaway part, said tongue being formed with an aperture through which a thread is adapted to pass.

"I. A thread holder of the character described comprising a single piece of sheet metal that is bent into a formation providing a splitsleeve construction, and a substantially semi-cylindrical part immediately adjacent thereto, a tab closing one'end of the split sleeveconstruction and a tongue substantially normal to the axis of the split sleeve construction and semi-cylindrical part and which tongue closes the end of said semi-cylindrical part, one edge of said tongue carryingthread cutting means.

8. A thread holderof the character described comprising a single piece of sheet metal that is bent into a formation providing a split sleeve construction, and a substantially semi-cylindrical part immediately adjacent thereto, a tab closing one end of the splitsleeve construction and a tongue substantially normal to the axis of the split sleeve construction and semi-cylindrical part and which tongue closes the end of said semi-cylindrical part, said tongue being formed with an aperture while an edge of the tongue is formed with a thread cutting notch.

, 9. A thread holder of the character described comprising a single piece of form sustaining material that is formed into a shape providing a split sleeve construction, and a substantially adjacent 

